Closer to the Truth
by GristlyBarr
Summary: Porauku wakes to find he has no memories. A Matoran by the name of Gashema finds him unconscious and now they will embark on a quest for discovery. Can they restore Porauku's memories? Can he get back home? Will secrets be discovered that should have remained uncovered?
1. Chapter 1: The End of my Past

Welcome to chapter 1 of my Bionicle fanfiction! I have written a few chapters in advance as a buffer zone for when I inevitably get distracted. Feel free to point out any grammatical errors (I won't be offended). All credit goes to their respective owners. I do not own Bionicle (If I did it would still be going...) but I do own the OCs. I have a MOCpages account where I have the OCs built there if you wish to see them (I'm called Porauku on MOCpages - check out my MOCs!) Enjoy!  
The names are pronounced Ga-SHEE-ma and Po-ROAR-koo, by the way.

Chapter 1: The End of my Past, the Start of my Future

Get up.  
A voice from inside the realms of my mind echoed out to me amidst the nothingness that threatened to engulf me. It sounded as though the words were made from within myself yet at the same time, it had an unfamiliar, acidic sound to it. Get up.

Unknown voices in my head were the least of my concerns as I slowly started to move like an Ash Bear after hibernation. Darkness filled my vision – or lack of it – as a groan escaped my Kanohi. The groggy feeling swirling around my head was a persistent little acid fly as I reached up for my mask to correct its skewed positioning. I was greeted by the sight of stone and rock. Lots and lots of it. Sand too. A ceiling decorated with stalactites hung above me. It was a while before I realised what I should have noticed immediately. I did not remember this cave. I did not remember my surroundings. The last thing I remember was...  
...Was nothing.

I remembered nothing. Not even a name to my credit, no known home to return to. Nothing. The hopelessness began to set in as I continued to examine the cave. Checking all of my joints, I saw no broken circuits, no gears out of position and my armour seemed close to intact. I raise my arm to my chest to notice the rough surface of my chest armour. Not normal but it was a minor concern. As I raised my left arm, however, I notice that it was notably devoid of armour, only the black and grey dermis showing. On my right arm, I saw my boneshield was still there – When I say still, I assume it was there before whatever happened. My mask, the Kanohi Akaku (that much, I remember) began scanning the area and myself. Heartlight illumination rate: Normal. Lung efficiency: 82%. Temperature: 25°C. A proximity scan revealed I was in a place called the Onu-Wahi Desert.

It took a while to assure myself I was fine, aside from the obvious loss of memory. The Akaku alerted me to a nearby life-form. Muscle memory dictated that I leapt to my feet and grab my boomerang. Nothing to be found. I reach for my waist to grab whatever weapon was there. Whatever weapon was supposed to be there. As the Kanohi zoomed in on the distant figure by the fire, I noticed that the figure was blue with white over-armour, looking at me with amusement. A large piece of black apparatus was perched on their back – Some kind of water movement aid? – as well as two smaller fans connected to the back of their heels that slowly twirled with the small amounts of wind that entered this cavern.

My boneshield was raised protectively. They stood up and I noticed that the Matoran was smaller than I was. The figure said nothing, only placing some weapons away from themselves to show that they meant no harm. On closer inspection, they appeared to be my weapons. A tan arm-mounted crossbow with bolts that would clip perfectly onto my arm, a boomerang and a small dagger. They couldn't have been the figure's weapons, the crossbow looked too big for their arm and the other weapons also didn't seem to have been made wherever she hailed from. I noticed none of the weapons in this cave belonged to the figure. A silence filled the cave and only the wispy air from outside settled between us.

"My name is Gashema of Ga-Koro and I mean no harm. You were unconscious outside," She gestured to the maw of the cave. A small wind passed the entrance and I saw the night sky. The crackling fire caught my attention. Gashema noticed my intrigue of the bright flames that lapped at the nearby firewood.  
"It gets quite cool on the Onu-Wahi desert when the moon rises," Her gaze turned to the weapons.  
"These were scattered around you. Yours, I assume?" She questioned. Gashema spoke clearly and with a slightly hushed tone, like a hidden sadness tormented her.  
I nodded to answer the question and stood there.  
"You can pick them up; I'm no Kane-Ra – I won't bite,"  
I briefly broke eye contact to turn to my weapons and back to Gashema.  
"You don't say a lot, do you? Where do you hail from? what is your name?"  
I searched thoroughly through my memory banks but it turned up nothing. I glanced to the side in guilt, unable to answer the simplest of questions.  
"It's okay if you don't know. We can figure it out together, if you'd like," Offered Gashema. Looking down, I saw her hand was outstretched in a gesture of friendship.

I returned the motion. I looked to my weapons and begin to place them on my person. The feeling of being protected again swept through me as the weapon systems appeared on my mask interface. I clipped the crossbow to my left arm but I left it unloaded. Standard protocol engraved on the side of the shell dictated that I leave it unloaded until I needed it – Also, I thought it would be unsettling to have someone with a loaded weapon with you that you barely know. The boomerang clasped to my hip armour; slightly cracked, but I doubted it would affect its performance. I picked up my dagger and, again, noticed she lacked any weapons. The dagger seemed to be of the right size and balance for her size, more so than my size. I spun the dagger around in my hand before I decided what to do and I gave it to her. She accepted the dagger and, looking at it with a look of awe hidden behind her mask, she performed a few test swings. Gashema inspected the handle and some writing engraved into it caught her eye:  
"Po... Porou... Poraki – kou! Porauku! It's a name and I bet my back-mounted turbine that it's yours! Pleased to meet you, Porauku." My mask covered my entire face, obstructing her view of my enormous grin at the discovery of a memory. My name. Porauku.  
She motioned to the cave floor.  
"The sun's rising. We should wait for dusk before heading outside. Don't want to fry that amnesia-ridden memory bank of yours," She quipped.  
I chuckled at the remark. Glad to know my sense of humour was still in there. Either that or I had obtained a sense of humour.

Gashema looked at my armour.  
"Are you a Ko-Matoran? That armour design does seem..." A brief pause as she thought of the right words.  
"...reminiscent of the Ko-Koro style; bulky and camouflaged with the mountains of Ko-Wahi."  
I looked down to notice a colour scheme of white and tan. It seemed like a good place to start.  
"We head out when dusk hits," She said, an air of leadership in her voice. That was good to hear. Something told me I wasn't suited for leadership – also, it probably wouldn't have been a good idea to let the amnesiac lead the way.  
The confidence in her voice filled me with confidence as well as hope that could find out how I ended up here.

"Look at you! We're already friends and you haven't even said a word. You're quite the Matoran, Porauku."

So, Porauku has amnesia, has met someone called Gashema and off they go the Ko-Koro! What do you think will happen on the way there? What will happen when they get there?

The start of an adventure worthy of being told by a chronicler (Or at least, I think so...) The first chapter is always one of the hardest things to do in writing - I gotta set up the plot, the characters, the setting, etc. I would like to give special thanks to Sumi-Sprite for Beta-reading it. The next update should be up... at some point. Reviews and ratings are welcome but you are under no obligation. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2: A Stranger Comes Home

Chapter 2 is up! nope, I still don't own Bionicle but hopefully that'll change...

Thanks to Scorpion-Strike for your review! Enjoy chapter 2, guys!

* * *

 _Chapter 2: A Stranger Comes Home..._

 _Hurry._

As I was snatched out of my slumber by the ominous voice, I was greeted by the sight of the mouth of the cave that lead to a wide expanse of stars outside. A trail of footprints in the sand paved a path that reached just outside the entrance. I looked past the dying embers of the fire to see Gashema sitting there in meditation. Her armour, A myriad of blues and whites, complimented the moon's rays perfectly to look almost ethereal in the pale moonlight.

"Did I wake you? Sorry."

I snapped out of my daze to see her head was not facing me but instead at the lights in the sky.

"I thought I'd just look at the stars. I travelled to Ko-Koro once. I was taught how to read the stars to see the future – did I tell you that? Never was very good, though. Anyway, after today, you needed that sleep. Remember anything?"

A turn of her head revealed a glint of hope in her eyes that was soon extinguished by my answer – looking away and shaking my head. My mind was still as empty as this cave.

"It was worth a shot. We should get going now – the moon is rising."

She stood up and put out the fire by kicking sand at the mound of kindling. I wondered why she didn't use the elemental abilities of Ga-Koro but she just disregarded my puzzled look.

"I didn't want to show off," Her confident façade was reassuring, but I couldn't help but notice small cracks in her demeanour. After picking up the dagger and making sure her back-mounted turbine was on securely, we were ready to start our travels.

"Your Kanohi should be able to tell us what way to go – Ko-Koro," She added nonchalantly.

A point of my finger later and we were leaving the cave, on our way to what I hope was home.

It had been a while and every dune of the desert looked identical. Spots of snow had begun to decorate the dunes as we passed into the cold temperatures of Ko-Wahi. I had taken to looking at the map on my Kanohi interface with one eye and using the other to follow behind her to keep myself amused. All of these different places. The thought that I might have been to these places before was quite exhilarating. Ko-Wahi East Coast. Le-Wahi Delta. Po-Koro. After a while, I looked more closely at Ga-Koro. I saw small green huts floating on the east waters of Mata Nui. It looked like a nice place to be, which made me wonder what made Gashema leave that place. A waterfall with another Kanohi, not too different from her own Kanohi, decorated the cliff walls close to the village. The sparkling waters only helped to make the picturesque architecture downright divine. I was, once again, snapped out of my curiosity by her voice.

"Porauku! Do you see that?" I followed where her hand pointed to see a light in the distance. Her hand shielded her eyes from the blizzard that had formed around us whilst I was lost in my map. I jogged to catch up with her (more accurately, her outline in the blizzard). I could make out snow-covered buildings from the mountainside thanks to my Akaku. The village of Ko-Koro – if it could be called a mere village with its level of technology; telescopes, knowledge towers and astronomy charts. Ga-Koro looked beautiful but this place looked...

...like home.

It was as camouflaged as its inhabitants. Of course, my Akaku allowed me to analyse the surroundings, helping me to distinguish the guard towers from the icy mountains behind them. Gashema, on the other hand, could only squint at where she thought Ko-Koro was (She was actually looking at a small hill – not that she could tell the difference through this blizzard). As we started walking towards Ko-Koro through the biting cold, she called to me through the howling winds:

"Do you recognise anyone?"

I shook my head. I'm sure I would remember with time. It was weird, thinking that a random villager I was looking at could have been my best friend. Our pace quickened to reach the towers.

Soon we were greeted by the Ko-Koro guards. With their white armour, I had to keep my Akaku on heat-sensing to see them properly. From a distance, it looked like we were talking to snow.

"State your business, travellers," Their tone was intimidating, but we all knew that the harshness was merely part of their job.

"I come with one of your own. He has lost his memories and needed to be escorted home. May we enter?"

It was a good thing Gashema was with me – I would have tripped over my words and probably looked like a servant of this 'Makuta' creature Gashema had told me about. It made me wonder how she knew so much about it but that was a question for another time. With her explanation, all I had to do was nod. The gates slowly raised in answer and they stood aside.

"Good to have you among us, Ko-Matoran," Their voices had softened a bit as we passed them.

As we entered the village, we were both awe-struck by the ice sculptures decorating the area. One of which depicted a large figure that towered above us all. A sword and shield in his hands, A stoic expression on his Kanohi and a battle-ready stance. On closer inspection, our masks were near identical, his mask more battle-weary. On the mantle at the bottom, a swipe that cleared the snow out of the way revealed a small plaque. Just one word – a name, but that name spoke volumes:

'Kopaka'

"I've heard stories about him. Legends, even. He's one of the six legendary Toa. He's fought against the forces of Makuta alongside his brothers and sister," Gashema informed, addressing the ten foot-tall conversation-starter in the middle of Ko-Koro. Some Ko-Matoran were already up and moving despite the early hours of the day-cycle. The snowstorm had subsided and had been replaced with a constant but subtle swish of snow and wind that bathed the village in a surreal atmosphere that I could not describe. Small huts decorated the area and the small but present hustle of everyday life was invigorating, I looked behind me to see Gashema was also amazed by this place. I saw a figure in the distance that stood out from the others. They looked older than the others. Gashema noticed him too.

"That's Turaga Ni...Nugi...Nuju! That's Turaga Nuju! Some say he used to be a Toa, just like Kopaka. I don't know what it is about Nuju but something tells me those rumours are true. Something about the way he acts..." She muttered, mainly to herself but I heard it nonetheless. My Akaku showed me that he too was looking at us with a Kanohi of his own. My Kanohi told me it was a Matatu, to be precise. He slowly walked towards us along with another figure.

When they finally reached us, there was a bit of tension in the air and Gashema stepped back. Maybe half her foot's length, but it was noticeable. Turaga Nuju spoke a language neither of us understood. I looked at her to see she was as puzzled as I was. The Matoran beside Nuju spoke up:

"He speaks the language of birds in the fabled city of Metru Nui. My name is Matoro and I translate for him."

Gashema looked surprised.

"He's been to Metru Nui?"

Nuju nodded.

"That I understand. Head gestures are all I've had from the lost Energy Hound-Pup over here –" She gestured at me before continuing:

"Our names our Gashema, hailing from Ga-Koro, and Poroaku. He has amnesia and we don't know were he's from but I reckon he's from Ko-Koro."

Matoro looked confused before looking at me and understanding.

"Nuju says welcome to Ko-Koro."

the Turaga proceeded to say something else in bird-talk.

Matoro took a second to interpret before the precise quoting which changed our entire situation.

"Nuju asks: 'What can we do for you two strangers?'"

I immediately looked at Matoro and Nuju. Maybe he mistranslated. Gashema looked equally thrown off by the last word. Strangers?

"Strangers? I don't live here but Poroaku lives here, doesn't he?" Gashema enquired, suddenly sounding unsure of herself. This set me on edge a bit because if she doesn't know something, Neither of us know something. Nuju shook his head and uttered some more incomprehensible words. Strangers? Maybe his memory was failing him.

" 'Neither of you reside here in Ko-Koro. My memory is as impeccable as it was 800 cycles ago and your faces are certainly not those of anyone who lives here'," Matoro elaborated for us. Strangers? That can't be! Why do I have this armour, then? Where am I supposed to be? What is happening?Gashema put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. Thoughts swirled around my mind as everything came figuratively crashing down around me.

A stranger... That's all I was to them. I wasn't home. A stranger...

* * *

So Porauku isn't a Ko-Koran? Things are not going well for him but he has Gashema by his side so things should work themselves out.

Thanks again to Sumi-Sprite for her excellent beta-reading skills!


	3. Chapter 3: One Step Forward

Chapter 3 is up! This chapter was quite fun to write and I have yet to go 'dormant' (I didn't go on this site for about a year and a half. Look at when my previous fics were uploaded. I think I'll redo them...) but anyway, I still don't own BIONICLE (I'm still waiting at my mailbox to receive the letter of ownership...). Enjoy! Feel free to rate and review! I'm not a person who would withhold uploads until I get x amount of views but it'll still help.

* * *

Chapter 3: One Step Forward,Two Steps Back

 _You were so close._

Turning, I walked off without another word, no longer impressed by the Koro's white landscape. I headed towards the gates as the village taunted me with its false allure of home. This was supposed to be it. End of the line. A satisfying trip home after a long day sky-watching or whatever it is they did here. I continued onwards, relying on the map of my Akaku as my eyes had become blurry with tears.

Silently thanking guards while they opened the gates, I left. I didn't know where I was going, nor did I care. What's the use? That frozen river could have could've been my home for all I knew. That mountain could've been my home. I'd never know and it made no difference to me anymore.

"Porauku! Wait!"

I didn't want Gashema to see me like this. She'd done so much for me and I didn't want to burden her further, so I thought I'd do the rest by myself.

Of course, Gashema understood and, not for the first time, seemed to read my mind.

"I can help you!"

I slowed down for her to catch up, but I stayed ahead of her. I couldn't be seen like this.

"I know this looks bad, but there's always a way. The Great Spirit made a plan. I know I don't know how you must feel right now – silent as the day we met, bottling it up, but I know. Even though you haven't said a word, I still understood you, didn't I?" she implored.

I couldn't help but crack a small smile at the comment. Stopping in my tracks, I heard the crumpling of snow. Not wanting to look back at Ko-Koro, I waited for her.

"What about Ga-Koro? There's someone there that can help; Turaga Nokama. She can't return your memories, but she canlocate your home, and I bet she knows someone who can restore your memories. What do you say? Sound like a plan?" Gashema asked.

It was a good thing one of us knew what to do.

Pulling up the map system on my Akaku, I headed in the direction of Ga-Koro before briefly stopping and turning to see her chuckle and catch up with me.

Although we had a new plan, I couldn't help but wonder: how will this 'Turaga Nokama' know where I am from? This armour certainly isn't helping. Looking down, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of emotions towards the miscoloured pieces of covering. Anger at its misleading origin, sadness at its betrayal and a bit of shame of being different. Sparing a glance at Gashema, her armour was of perfectly vibrant hues of blue; no discolouration could be seen anywhere. The white was pristine and was well looked after. But I couldn't help but wonder why she had white armour if she was a Ga-Matoran. From what I'd gathered on the way to Ko-Koro, Gashema told me that they were all blue ("We wear our colours with pride – don't you know what takes up most of this planet?"). Even so, her voice hid a tinge of guilt. I didn't know what my past self was like, or what he did to make my armour like this, but it must have been quite drastic. I started pondering on my past self. What did he do all day? How did his armour get in such a state?

The Akaku telescopic viewfinder was activated as I scanned my weapons for any traces of anything. No Protodermis stains could be seen on it so these weapons were never used with the intention of killing. Or he took much better care of his weapons than he did his armour.

Traces of sand were embedded in the armour, but after walking through the Onu-Wahi Desert, It wasn't surprising. Was I always this well-armed and armoured? The armour may be discoloured but I'd be lying if I said it wouldn't have protected me. I had a dagger, a boomerang and an arm-mounted crossbow. How did I get this many weapons? Why did I need them? Was I... a criminal? On the run? So many questions and no way of finding out…

Hours passed and the sun began to rise as the snow slowly receded. Gashema was ahead with myself sagging slightly behind her out of exhaustion.

"Nearly there!" she called.

Filled with new-found energy, I ran forward to see above the mountain ridge of... Ko-Wahi Low East (I had to consult my map, obviously) and saw the vibrant green and blue tropics of Ga-Koro.

Gashema gestured ahead of us, "See that bit there? Where the sands go inwards near that waterfall carving?" I recognised that mask as the same mask I saw with my Akaku map hours ago. My Kanohi had no trouble noticing it.

"That is Ga-Koro," she told me, filled with awe. "I've never seen it from this angle. The Great Spirit is quite the craftsman."

Within minutes we had reached the gates. Déjà vu hit me and filled me with fear. What if Nokama was wrong?

No monolithic stone gates to be seen here, just gates made from wood. The gate lifted up as we passed. There were no guards. It seemed smaller than the isolated village of Ko-Koro. Barely audible, I could just hear Gashema whisper,

"I'm home."

Everything was serenely quiet, the breeze of the sea refreshing on our masks. Yet there was a certain tension in the air. After a brief thought, it occurred to me that it wasn't serenely quiet – it was hauntingly silent. A look around the lily pads confirmed my suspicions; no one could be seen.

"It's okay, guys! We mean no harm!" Gashema called, seemingly to no one.

From behind a lily-hut, a small Ga-Matoran emerged. One shaky foot at a time, she slowly approached Gashema.

"Gashema? Are you... you?" she inquired.

That sentence played through my mind multiple times as I tried to decipher what they meant. Did I not hear that correctly? What did they mean? My look of bewilderment went unnoticed as Gashema knelt down and nodded.

A hushed voice could be heard, telling the Ga-Matoran to get back.

"Gapuru! What are you doing? Get back here!"

I looked around, my Kanohi Akaku leaping into action (figuratively, of course) and analysing everything. Heat signatures, atmosphere analysis, electrical signals and movement compiled into a vision that showed the location of every Ga-Matoran. They seemed... scared. Why? I mentally face palmed as I realised that maybe it's because someone with so many weapons walked into the village. I dropped my weapons, detached my arm-mounted crossbow and kicked them out of reach. They eased up a little, but I could tell that they were still tense.

What was going on here? Did I miss something?

* * *

So Gashema and Porauku arrive in Ga-Koro but something is a little... off. If Porauku is not from Ko-Koro, where is he from? All will be revealed next chapter (It should be up in a few days). Thanks again to Sumi-Sprite for beta-reading. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4: The Truth

Chapter 4 is up and ready to go! I do not own Bionicle, just the characters I imagined and built myself! The chracters can be seen on my MOCpages account (I'm called Porauku over there)

Enjoy!

* * *

 _Chapter 4: The Truth_

Gashema wasn't saying anything. I wasn't saying anything. _No-one_ was saying anything. I continued to look around before slowly backing away. Before my feet were back on solid ground – well, as solid as sand could be – A figure emerged. The Akaku alerted me to movement and my head quickly turned, the kanohi examining every detail before compiling the results. No weapons, over 800 cycles on this island, Ga-Koran in origin.

I eased up and nudged Gashema, who turned around to see the figure. I breathed a sigh of relief when the silence was broken by Gashema's reassuring voice:

"Nokama. We come seeking your help. I understand why they are apprehensive – they don't have a reason to be, but whatever floats their village, I guess. My friend, is without memories and seeks his home."

"Have you tried Ko-Koro?" Nokama's voice had an unmistakable air of wisdom etched within each word.

"The first place we tried. No such luck," replied Gashema.

The villagers slowly began to disperse yet the feeling of their collective unease stayed. Turaga Nokama gestured for us to follow her.

Inside her hut was a myriad of strange tools. Nokama looked at me and studied my armour.

"Hmmm. Traces of Ta-Koran embers, Onu-Wahi sands, Ko-Koro's frost. You are without memories, correct?"

I nodded in response.

"Your past self was quite the traveller. He has been everywhere. May I?" She asked, gesturing towards my arm-mounted boneshield.

I allowed her to unclasp the shield and analyse it. A small piece was chipped off ("I shall put it back afterwards") and placed it in a jar with a strange clear liquid. Nokama reached up to a shelf and placed down six jars bearing pieces of armour, each labelled with a place of origin. Le-Koro, Po-Koro and Ta-Koro were but a few of the names.

"Armour is more than just a piece of protection. It tells a story that no Chronicler could ever tell. Are you aware of the Toa Nuva's adaptive armour?"

I didn't know who, or what, a 'Nuva' was, thanks to the amnesia. Luckily, my Ga-Koran friend seemed well-versed in their legends.  
"Of course. The armour adapts to its environment and alters its properties, design and colours," She explained, more for my sake than anyone else's.

"Matoran armour is equally adaptive; albeit in a different way. Matoran armour adapts to the home environment but then doesn't change once the Matoran is fully grown. That is why it is important that Matoran do not leave their homes, or it may lead to some strange combinations and mutations."

I looked at Gashema's armour. She noticed my glance:

"That's not what happened to me, friend. What happened there was a _whole_ different barrel of lightfish..."

Nokama continued.

"Each armour is adapted for its village. Ko-Matoran armour is thick for insulation against the cold and the Matoran are usually short to increase the speed of flow around their bodies to prevent tiobite."

She pulled a piece of thick, white armour out of its jar. The jar was slightly frosted.

Another jar was opened, which was clouded up, was opened. The steam released to reveal a thin piece of long, vibrant red armour.

"Ta-matoran armour is thin an has minuscule gaps in the armour to allow for easy breathing. Ga-Matoran armour is –"

Gashema interrupted.

"Can I explain Ga-Koro armour?"

Nokama chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"Go ahead, Gashema."

"Ga-Koro armour is smooth for swift water movement and is watertight. Also, you'll notice that your armour has little pieces of rust beginning to appear on it –" I looked at my chest armour to see small pockets of rust beginning to appear.

" – Ga-Matoran armour is water-resilient – That rust is temporary, by the way – and we have a larger lung capacity than other Matoran."

A piece of armour was picked out of its submerged jar. The armour looked to be almost silken in nature. Nokama took a breath before continuing her explanation:

"Le-Matoran armour –" she picked the contents out of a jar and, rapped in vines, was another piece of armour. It was smaller and than the others and looked like it weighed little more than a feather.

"– Is lightweight and doesn't cover the joints. This means they are light and agile in their movements. They have a special hollow protodermis to further reduce weight," said Nokama.

"Onu-Matoran armour is thick and sturdy. In the past, they have been able to survive entire cavern system collapses and be unscathed. Their vision is unparalleled, no doubt to be able to see in the dark."

A larger, opaque jar revealed a piece of Onu-Matoran armour. It didn't have the reflective sheen that the other pieces possessed, instead opting to exhibit a dull, unpolished finish. I guess shiny armour wouldn't help with no light to reflect.

"Last but not least is Po-Koran armour. Their armour is specifically designed to not absorb the sun's heat with a complex outer coating material that we have yet to fully understand and utilise. Additionally, The Po-Matoran can go for days without food or water because of their fiercely efficient mechanisms and storage systems."

This was nice to know, but I couldn't help but think: where did my discoloured armour fit into all of this?

"But not even the Great Spirit himself could craft a metal strong enough to withstand the sandstorms that ravage the area. Po-Matoran must take shelter or their armour will be scratched away, losing their colour – and consequently, their properties," Nokama explained whilst looked at the piece of armour that was in the jar and compared it to mine.

Despite the differing colour, the two pieces seemed to react to each other. They seemed to be re-arranging their protodermal layer and mimicking each other. The mere close proximity was enough to incite a reaction like long-seperated brethren.

"Porauku, you are indeed a Po-Matoran."

Amidst the assortment of emotions that were running through my head, I heard Gashema ask a question I would have forgotten to ask:

"Turaga Nokama? Do you know of someone who can return lost memories?"

"I cannot help you with that. But Turaga Vakama may be able to help. Seek him in Ta-Koro."

So that's it. We had a place of origin. We had a name. We have a way to restore memories. Our goal was in our mind and we were ready to sort this mess out. This was a nice turn of events after what happened early in this day-cycle.

Ta-Koro – Our next destination. This was turning out to be quite the island tour.

* * *

Tiobite: Something I made up. It's like frostbite, with 'Tio' coming from the maori word for 'ice'. As you may know, Bionicle names and some terms (like 'toa') come from the maori language.

So Porauku is of Po-Koro and we see some tension in Ga-Koro. What will happen next? I enjoyed writing this chapter as I like creating my own little interpretations of things. I thought of the idea behind differing armour myself but it seems I am not the first person to do so.

Thanks again to Sumi-Sprite, my trusted Beta-reader! Sumi helped out quite a bit with this chapter.

IMPORTANT: Now, the bad news. Settle down, the story will continue - I'm not _that_ cold-hearted (It just doesn't beat...) but the chapters will come a lot slower. Need something to thank for that? thank my SD card for malfunctioning. As you know, I created a buffer zone so I won't be pressured into overloading myself. Chapters 8 - 12 are gone. Half of chapter 7 is gone. The surviving chapters have not had their later modifications, meaning I will, essentially, have to partially re-write them. My updated notes that have aspects I thought of later are gone. My idea for a sequel; gone. Updates will be a lot slower as I think a portion of my enthusiasm for Porauku's ventures was deleted as well. Even when I re-write the chapters, I'll always end up comparing them to the SUPERIOR deceased predecessor. I may be able to salvage something but expect updates to slow down.


	5. Chapter 5: Smoke on the Water

Chapter 5 is up! Sorry it took so long but it is here! I do not own Bionicle but I do own my own characters. Enjoy!

* * *

 _Chapter 5: Smoke on the Water_

 _Get up._

"Porauku? Porauku? Sorry to wake you, friend. We need to leave – now!"

Whilst my eyes were still adjusting, my Akaku was alerting me to everything. Nearby temperature spikes, below average oxygen levels in environment composition, high levels of movement outside…

Ga-Koro was on fire.

This called for what I had yet to do on my adventure. I grabbed the bolts and loaded my arm-mounted crossbow before I grabbed my boomerang with the other hand. A look outside with the Kanohi Akaku picked out small creatures. A brief scan told me all I needed to know. Gashema had told me about _them_. Skull Spiders. Within seconds, the crossbow was fired and sent the dead servant of Makuta to the bottom of the seas.

I calmed and steeled myself for the oncoming chaos and prepared another bolt. The Akaku analysed the area, and I quickly devised a plan from the results.

The Akaku detected a nearby Matoran huddled behind a hut. Leaping through the fires, I saw Gashema head in the opposite direction to tackle the army head-on. I extended my arm out and pulled the Matoran nearer to me.

"Stay close – I'm going to get you out of here!" I was surprised by the sound of a voice. My voice. There was no time to marvel at unexpected vocalizations. The quickest route through the burning remains of Ga-Koro was directly ahead. I threw my boomerang, clearing a few Skull Spiders out of the way before the boomerang returned. Keeping the momentum from the previous throw, the boomerang sped through the air once more. Gashema was still hacking away at the swarm when she grabbed my boomerang mid-air and slashed through the army with it.

The route was as clear as it was going to get, and firing bolts as I went, I escorted the Matoran out of the village and to the shore.

Returning to the centre of the fray, I decimated the swarm further. My Akaku and crossbow worked in tandem to fire without even having to aim properly – a deadly combination. The fire crackled through the air and burned down the dainty lily pad-huts that were the foundation of the entire village. I spared a glance in the general direction to see Gashema was being overwhelmed by their sheer numbers.

Thinking quickly, I grabbed a bolt – one that was quite shoddily built out of wood – and set it alight. I swiped at Makuta's underlings gathering at my feet before aiming it at the horde that surrounded Gashema. Back to back we stood, the final defense of Ga-Koro.

"Yours, I assume?" She queried. I chuckled – even in the heat of battle she was quick with the wisecracks.

I gratefully took my boomerang before throwing it at the incoming cluster. My Akaku was unable to keep up with the numbers; just a solid mass of blue, green and silver through the flames that were dangerously close to engulfing us.

"Don't hold back," muttered Gashema.

"Wasn't planning on it," I quipped.

In a single flurry of motion, the boomerang returned and was thrown behind me (to the side of Gashema) and the bolts were put into action. Load. Fire. Repeat. Load. Fire. Repeat. GrCatchab boomerang. Throw boomerang. Behind me was an assortment of sounds; the whistling of a blade through the air, the crackling and spitting of the steadily approaching flames, the shrill cries of Skull Spiders. Gashema's fighting style juxtaposed my precise and calculated bolt shots, only enhanced by the powers of my mask.

When the battle was won, all that was left was the fire. Gashema pulled me into the water as her mask started to glow. Curiously, I watched the spectacle unfold before me. It was common knowledge that Matoran had limited control over their element but this... this was something different. Water slowly rose up. Not the expected small puddle of water, no. All of the water around the village was lifted up in one swift motion as though carried by unseen hands. In a final movement, the water fell onto the village and everything was plunged into darkness. The remains of the attack were insignificant. A lily pad here, a plank of waterlogged wood there. Ga-Koro was gone, but the inhabitants remained. A group of blue on the vast trail of golden sands. A small current carried me to shore. I'm sure I had Gashema to thank for that – I never was one for swimming.

Upon awakening for the second time that day-cycle, I saw Gashema was speaking with Nokama.

"...we shall warn the other villages of the attack. For that, we require a boat. We trust that the rebuilding will go well?"

"Thank you, Gashema, and to you too, Porauku of Po-Koro. May the Great Spirit guide you," said Nokama. As we walked to the boat, I couldn't help but overhear the Matoran.

"Po-Koro? Wasn't that place..."

"How old is he?"

"He must be the last..."

"But, the Hotoke Contingency..."

Above all, I heard a Ga-Matoran say to me words that I did not understand the meaning behind.

"Sorry about what happened to Po-Koro."

What did this all mean? I would definitely have to ask Gashema later. I pushed the question to the back of my mind as we approached the boat. The boat was a welcome addition to our increasingly intriguing ventures, for my legs could use a rest. After waving goodbye, we left the ash and cinders of Ga-Koro to make our way to a village of ash and cinders. The difference being Ta-Koro is _supposed_ to be like that.

The humming boat engine filled the silence that lingered between us out on the open seas.

"So, you're Porauku of Po-Koro. I knew we would find out some way where your home is. Your armour just got scraped away is all." Gashema commented.

"Is that all? That's not all. I'm an amnesiac away from home all because of this tainted-"

"Don't say that. The important thing is that we know where you are from," interrupted Gashema.

A silence lingered over the boat until Gashema did what she did best – lifted the mood.

"So when did you start talking? Did you find a Skull Spider with your tongue?"

In truth, it didn't dawn on me that I was talking. She read my facial expressions so fluently that I felt as though I had been talking since we first met. She dismissed my silence though.

"It's good to know that I can count on you when I need you. We made quite a team back there. Where did you learn to fight like that?" She went deadpan after realising the obvious answer.

"Oh, right. Po-Koro," She quickly regained her verbal footing after changing the angle of her question.

"But where in Po-Koro?"

There was a glint in her eyes as her imagination took over.

"What if you were part of the Po-Koro guard? It explains your fighting skill. That wasn't just something you learn, it became muscle memory! It's why you have so many weapons! It's why your armour is bulkier! It's why you use your Kanohi so well – you used it to aim, don't try to tell me otherwise. In fact, it's probably _why_ you have that Kanohi!"

The explanation made sense. Too much sense to be mere coincidence. I liked this idea. At this rate, I would not have needed Vakama to restore my memories.

* * *

Chapter updates will be a bit slower than before but that's just me in a nutshell. I do things at my own pace. For quite a few other people (Teachers, for example) it's an agonizingly slow pace. I live life slowly. Feel free to leave a review or a rating. I won't hold the next chapter at ransom until you comply but it'll help.

Again, I must thank Sumi-Sprite, the beta-reader of this fic. Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6: Shore of Ashes

Chapter 6 is up! Sorry for the slightly late update but that is to be expected. In regards to the corrupted SD card fiasco, I've started to re-write the remaining chapters with some... interesting changes. It's safe to say I have my mojo back :3

Thanks to Sumi-Sprite for the chapter title idea

Enjoy!

* * *

 _Chapter 6: Shore of Ashes_

Looking beneath me, I watched the marine rahi swim below us. Their vibrant scales were dazzling, even when glazed over by the deep seas of Mata-Nui. A brief look up revealed Gashema staring intensely at a small puddle on the boat. Intrigued, I watched her. Gashema's hand performed a scooping motion before clenching her fingers together tightly. Her hand then opened in one swift motion. Nothing happened. The water was as still as ever. Gashema muttered under her breath before she noticed me.

"I don't know how I did what I did over there, either. Matoran aren't actually supposed to be able to do that – control large amounts of their element's energies, that is. That's something only a Toa is capable of…" – she noted my quizzical look – "No. I'd be a lot taller if I was a Toa. It couldn't have just been a fluke, but I don't know how I did it."

The conversation came to a swift close when Gashema kicked the water out of the boat. Minutes passed as the silence lingered before the conversation picked back up on a different subject. My mind wandered to the colour of our armour; both unusual in some way. My lack of colour, her extra colours of black and white; It was fascinating, to say the least. But not for too much longer. Thanks to Le-Koro, my armour would be returned to its original state. She must have noticed my gaze, too, and spoke.

"It's the white armour, isn't it?"

The voice broke my train of thought but I was willing to listen.

"It was... seventy-five? Ninety? A few cycles ago when I was adventuring. This armour was compliments of Ko-Koro – how did you think I knew where Ko-Koro was? This armour reminded me of a troubled time, and it's one of the reasons why I took you in. I was in a similar situation, once," She elaborated.

The mood dropped to a sombre tone. As usual, my silence invited her to go on.

"I was searching for shelter from a snowstorm in Ko-Wahi when I was attacked by... something. It happened so fast I didn't get a good look at it. I was rescued by someone. Their face remained hidden but I will never forget their armour: brown and silver; quite bulky. He was a quiet Matoran – You remind me of him, now that I think about it. When I awoke, I was in a Ko-Koran house with some armour by my side. The armour by my side fit me perfectly. The colour wasn't a problem. The armour represents who I am; a roaming adventurer with no defined home. Once I had been healed, he left. I didn't even thank him. I guess I felt in debt to him and that looking after you would be some form of balancing things out."

I had always wondered why she had the white armour, in the back of my mind. It was good to finally have some blanks filled in. It was also interesting to find out why she decided to help me, a random stranger.

"I may be Ga-Koran in appearance, but I was raised all around Mata-Nui. Yes, I was born in Ga-Wahi, but it is not my home," She said, looking off to the side. I was confused by this comment. Why wouldn't it be? Once more, she clarified.

"I was only around fifty-five cycles when I left – was forced to leave, more like. I... I was caught controlling water. Not the tiny droplets they expected of me, no. I was manipulating the _entire_ waterfall – The one with that Kanohi carved on it. I had no explanation – I still don't – and Ga-Koro accused me of being a servant of the Makuta. Turaga Nokama was convinced I was not one of the Makuta, but that didn't stop them from spreading the rumours. They didn't know what to do. I couldn't demonstrate how I did it, it just happened. I guess I could compare it to falling asleep – focus on falling asleep too much and it won't happen. I had to leave the very next day. Any time I would get close to Ga-Koro, they would chase me down. Probably without Nokama's knowledge, too. Hmph. The Matoran and Nokama all probably thought I was dead," She explained, looking to the waters to the side of her before she suddenly jerked her head back to me and shook herself free of her shackles of sadness.

"And that is how I ended up in Ko-Koro for the armour shenanigans to happen and how I found myself wandering the island. Anything else you would like to know?"

"Yes. I overheard the Ga-Matoran back there –" Her face didn't change. She was as intrigued as I was. "–They said something about Po-Koro. I overheard one of them saying I was the last... something. Someone mentioned the... Hotique? Hitokey? Hotoke Contingency, I believe. What does this all mean?"

Gashema looked at me. Her voice was as silken as fine sand.

"We'll worry about that later. As far as we know, they were just saying how you were the last intelligent person they'd see. They hear things – false things. Let's get to Ta-Koro and get your memories restored."

"Harsh words for your own kind," I observed.

"Harsh? Yes. My own kind? No." If her voice was a blade, this 'Makuta' would've stood no chance against it.

With the information still sinking in, I was oblivious to our rapidly-approaching destination. A majestic plume of embers and smoke came into view. The seas took on a red tinge and the clouds converged over the land. Our boat docked at the ash-woven beach and stumbled our way through the rocks to reach Ta-Koro – we had arrived.

* * *

So Gashema's past is revealed and they arrive at Ta-Koro? What will Porauku find out in the village of fire? Feel free to write a review or something like that.

Thanks again to my trusted beta-reader, Sumi-Sprite!


	7. Chapter 7: A Warm Welcome

Chapter 7 is up! sorry for the long wait, I lost track of time. However, I have finished writing the story and it is almost the christmas holidays so I should be able to do almost-regular updates :D

I still don't own bionicle (I've asked Santa for ownership of Bionicle so I'm waiting for that)

* * *

 _Chapter 7: A Warm Welcome_

While not in any rush, we wasted no time in docking the boat and clambering over the coals that littered the path. As though it had been resting, my Akaku suddenly displayed the usual vitals but with some additions. A not-at-all worrying internal thermometer displayed, showing a constant temperature of 40°C. Upon entering the city, we reached another guard post. The usual string of questions followed: Where are you from? What is your business here? I was getting an all-too-familiar sense of foreboding – we had been in this same scenario two day-cycles ago. Again, it was good that Gashema was here as I had zoned out of the conversation. They soon stepped aside to allow our passage, before asking us to stop.

"Wait! Are you of Ga-Koro?"

"Yes. And he's a Po-Koran. Does this change anything?" she inquired.

An astonished looked decorated the Ta-Koran's face, only to be quickly wiped away.

The guard opened the door and proceeded to usher us inside, the other Ta-Koran following us. Inside, the dimly-lit room highlighted cracks in the structure and marks of cycles gone.

"What's going on?" questioned Gashema.

"Are you aware of the properties of Ga-Koran armour?"

"Of course I am. You think I don't know my own armour?" Gashema kept her composure but had a subtle venom to her voice.

The guards whispered to each other. I could pick up parts of the conversation:

"Tapuru – pieces of Ko-Koran armour – Ga-Koro – a bad combination –"

The guards turned to face us.

"Your armour will not protect you from the flames of our land. You will overheat for sure so it is in your best interests that you take a Murahazard suit –" They pointed at an empty suit on the wall – "It should protect you. We check once a cycle for any cracks in the armour – You should be fine. You –" He looked at me – "You're a Po-Koran, so you should be fine. However, your armour is... err..." He trailed off.

I glared at him.

"My armour's what, _Tapuru_?" Unlike Gashema, my voice oozed and dripped with figurative venom.

"I'm just saying, Po-Koran. You'd better take a set of armour, too. Just in case." The guard's tone sounded as though they had done this all their lives yet their voices still held an authentic sense of worry.

We decided not to argue. After donning the armour (it was designed to go over the top of the user's current armour), we were given the all-clear to proceed into Ta-Koro. Tapuru stared at me. I think he was muttering something about a 'real-life Po-Koran', whatever that was supposed to mean.

He noticed me looking at him and he left his dazed state and held his hand out.

"It was an honour to meet you, Po-Koran," he said, awestruck.

"Likewise…" I replied uncertainly.

I didn't know what he meant. As we left, I heard a sentiment I had become acquainted with but still lacked meaning,

"Sorry about Po-Koro."

It filled me with dread of what I would find out. The murahazard armour itself was a mixture of reds and maroons with details of yellow, sending out its radiance, brightening the room around us.

The sounds of gates shutting behind us made the sentiment set in fully; I was so close to finding out about my past self and who he was. We didn't waste a second in trying to find Turaga Vakama. The tall, solid stone structures of Ta-Koro contrasted with the gentle, intricate buildings of Ko-Koro and the minimalist, nature-inspired architecture of Ga-Koro. The soft lighting of hidden torches and glowing rock set a jarring juxtaposition with the harsh, cool and lifeless rock that surrounded us.

After marvelling at the houses, we resumed our search for Turaga Vakama. Eventually, he was found in a small house near the entrance. Vakama gave us a warm welcome – a _very_ warm welcome by igniting a small fire in the centre of the room.

"How may I help, travellers?"

Gashema stepped forward.

"We travelled far in need of your wisdom. My friend has lost his memories and we have received word that you are able to help us," Informed Gashema, speaking clearly and formally in respect for Ta-Koro's elder.

Vakama nodded. "I can indeed help you, but it will take some time and is better done alone."

Gashema understood.

"Okay, I'll go explore the area –" she turned to me – "I trust you will be able to talk on your own, Porauku?" She teased.

I nodded in response.

After trailing his staff through the sands to form a strange sigil and letting the fire in the centre grow, he instructed me to sit. Immediately, my Akaku was going crazy: Lung efficiency: 163%. Temperature: -30°C. His voice distracted me from reading the malfunctioning Kanohi readings.

"Please, if it would help, take off your mask. I have a friend with a similar mask – a Matatu. He would often take it off to truly focus." He said gently.

I quickly realised he was referring to Turaga Nuju. I removed my mask and placed on the sand in front of me. Within seconds, my mind was bombarded with images of my past self. I felt myself go lightheaded as the visions swarmed in my head...

* * *

Porauku and Gashema arrive in Ta-Koro. What will Porauku see?

Special thanks to my trusted beta-reader, Sumi-Sprite!

(Word count was annoying me so I thought I would write these brackets so it would be over 1000 words - It was 996 without this)


	8. Chapter 8: Remembering a Tragedy

Merry Christmas to you all! I know Christmas has already been and gone but it's still Christmas in some timezones, right? If you do not celebrate Christmas, I wish you a happy holiday and a happy new year!

Quick Note: Murahazard: Mura is maori for fire. Maori is the language used for Bionicle names and Kanohis (Toa is warrior, Pohatu is ground [or something to that effect], Kanohi is mask, etc.). So murahazard is literally 'firehazard'.

Maero: Maero is maori for mile. Take note, however, that it may not actually equal a mile in distance in my story, I just felt that 'maero' fit better than 'meter' or 'mile' or whatever.

Tapuru; pronounced Ta-PORE[Rhymes with 'lure')-roo

Enjoy!

* * *

 _Chapter 8: Remembering a Tragedy_

 _Do not forget._

My mind whirled around a million maeros a second trying to process and make sense of what I had witnessed. My head felt heavier with this new influx of information. I had memories! My name was Porauku of Po-Koro. A trained marksman. I already knew that but it was the _new_ data that I focused on. There were good memories. As I recall, I tried to ride a Dikapi a few hundred cycles ago. I tried to sand-surf and broke my arm – I had to rest for a week after that. Little anecdotes that served no importance. Even so, it gave me great joy to be able to think about my past self and what he did. The trek around the island was worth it to have my memories back.

But for every good memory, a wisp of sadness accompanied it. The other things I had done. The mistakes. The darker part of my past that had best be left forgotten. The Hotoke Contingency. Oh, Great Spirit above. The Hotoke Contingency. A shadowy chapter in my life. In Mata Nui's life. They brought indescribable pain to me. The Hotoke Contingency. Not only was my home...

My _home_...

I daren't even say it. The rumours were true, if that wasn't bad enough. The buzz of being with memories was quickly killed and replaced by sadness. I hadn't just _witnessed_ the Hotoke Contingency. I was the one that _caused_ it. My armour was damaged in the escape from Po-Koro and the following cycles. I felt enlightened by the new-found memories but, at the same time, filled with turmoil. Vakama was nowhere to be seen. He probably left me alone to think with myself. I needed someone to talk to. Where was Gashema?

Looking in both directions before leaving the humble little stone cottage, I spotted one of the guards from before. Tapuru, if I recall. He saw me and waved me into the house. Inside was Gashema.

"You didn't think to tell me that Po-Koro had been –" I paused as I saw her face (she wasn't wearing her mask). She was unconscious. Her face was sweaty and contorted into one of pain. Her usually chirpy grin was nowhere to be seen. The never-ending torrent of questions would have to wait. She needed help and she needed it now. I thought back to when she mentioned medicinal plants. Le-Koro was where they could be found, if my memory served me correctly.

"–it can wait. We need to get you to Le-Koro" – I directed my attention to the Ta-Koran guard beside me – "Tapuru, what happened?"

"I don't know. She was wearing the armour – I made sure it was on correctly."

It was at that moment that I noticed a large crack in her Murahazard armour.

My voice turned unnervingly quiet and cold.

"Tapuru, what is this? How did you not notice _that_?" I pointed at the crack. I didn't have time to deal with the Ta-Koran's incompetence. I felt anger controlling myself. I was not fully aware of my actions but I think I loaded my crossbow – in preparation for the treacherous journey ahead of me, of course. I would never harm a Matoran, but Tapuru was testing my patience.

 _Do not find reassurance in lies._

"Where's Le-Koro?" I repeated, hoping it would get through his thick mask that we needed to leave.

"What? You'll never be able to carry her there alone!" he sputtered.

I stared at his eyes, his flickering a bit, mine bearing down on him with intense anger. I surprised myself with what sounded like a Makuta long-trapped within me was escaping through my words.

"Don't talk to me about what I can and can't do! You can't comprehend the things I've seen…!" My voice grew unsteady. "The things I've _done._ And I will do it all again if you stand in my way."

Tapuru, along with the rest of Ta-Koro, it looked like, stared at me. I glared at them as I picked Gashema up and carried her out of Ta-Koro. At the gate, Tapuru and I removed the (useless) Murahazard armour from myself and Gashema. I found the location of Le-Koro and prepared myself for the dangerous journey I was about to undertake – physically _and_ mentally. My Akaku was going to have to guide me. It was deeply depressing that Gashema's witty and joyful commentary was going to be absent from the journey, replaced by a monotony of silence. The village of embers stood behind me in a state of confusion as to what they had just witnessed.

Tapuru left us at the gates and bid us good luck. We were going to need it.

* * *

So Gashema is ill, something happened at Po-Koro and now Porauku needs to reach Le-Koro. Stuff is kicking off.

Thanks to my beta-reader, Sumi-Sprite, who did a wonderful job as always. She also suggested the Chapter title. Updates from here on out should be regular (maybe every 3 days?). Regular updates? On my fanfiction? Truly, a first. Have a happy new year to you all!


	9. Chapter 9: Racing Shadows

Hey! Chapter 9 is here!

I know I said every 3 days but a couple of days afterwards, my computer completely broke. I feared that my story would be lost (again...) but here it is! 'Tis fixed!

Also, from this point on, the chapters are written after my SD card got corrupted, meaning this is my second true attempt at this chapter (I had a couple of half-written attempts). The story is now taking a slightly different direction than it was before so, I guess, I should thank the corruption. Fate had a different plan for my story. The first one, at least. The computer death was uncalled for...

Enjoy!

* * *

 _Chapter 9-2: Racing Shadows_

 _You'll never make it._

Quiet. A word I never thought I would use to describe my ventures with Gashema. And yet that was the word that aptly described the situation. Quietly making our way to Le-Koro, devoid of sound and of joy. Gashema was the light that had always guided me. When I was lost, like at Ko-Koro, she was there to show me the way. If not for her, I'd probably still be in that cave. To see her face contorted into a grimace pained me as well as her. Gone was the charismatic grin and chirpy persona, replaced by a hollow shell of pain.

The light from the trees above me filtered down to ground level, creating a dappled effect that would have captivated me if the current situation wasn't so dire. The Akaku was working overtime as it analysed her vital signs. If anything dropped, no matter how small, I would feel a little bit of me disappear into the abyss of anguish within me.

 _It's your fault._

My head jerked upwards to find the source of the voice. Realising its location, I knew there was no point searching around me. An errant thought. An absurd thought. A thought I did not wan to think about. Thoughts that surfaced in the silence; that strived to consume me.

 _It's all your fault._

My thoughts – _his_ thoughts, I corrected – briefly escaped from the Karzahni they were held in. Gashema protected me from these thoughts without even realizing it. Her upbeat personality was able to drive back the dark, twisted thoughts that plagued my mind. Her presence was like a candle that fended of the dark. With that light flickering in and out of existence, these corrupt thoughts were free to torment me whilst I hid in the corner of my own mind.

However, being alone meant I could take a moment to stop (figuratively) and think. I was Porauku of Po-Koro. Po-Koro. The words that held new meaning with what I had seen. What I had _done_. No one else would be willing to listen to me – aside from Gashema. They would simply fixate on the actions I took that changed everything.

 _Do they have a reason not to?_

The thought, one that originated from a source other than myself, lingered in my mind longer than it had any right to.

 _Are you not the one responsible?_

Why didn't Gashema think to say something? Why didn't she think it would be a good idea to mention the disaster?

The rational part of my mind tried to reason with my rising temper, attempting to quell the furnace of rage that burned away at my composure. She couldn't think of a good time or way to bring up something as major and life-changing as my past. A reasonable conundrum. My voice broke the silence.

"She didn't tell me about Po-Koro!"

The sheer amount of venom that laced every syllable surprised me, like Makuta was hiding inside my mind and it had just let itself out. It shocked me into silence again. Maybe this was why I avoided talking whenever possible. Maybe I was scared of what obscenities I would unleash from within myself.

 _Time is wasting away._

That voice again. Like mine yet so unlike mine. I didn't wish to admit it, but _he_ was right. I kept walking. My Akaku was telling me I was close to Le-Koro. I could tell that Gashema didn't have much time left. I tried to focus on walking before I stopped. I didn't know why I stopped but I did. I stopped moving. Something I shouldn't have done when we had to reach Le-Koro as fast as possible. But I did and I didn't know why. Then the Ga-Matoran in my arms started to move. A small voice called out to me.

"Po...ku…? Are you…there?" she rasped.

I looked down to see her eyes were barely open. Shifting slightly in my grip, she opened her eyes briefly before returning to squinting through the haze of pain she was in.

"Don't talk. We'll be at Le-Koro soon, I promise," I replied, an unusual amount of confidence in my voice.

 _Guilty minds don't keep promises._

The comment gnawed at me. What if it _was_ a promise I couldn't keep? I didn't want to disappoint her. But what could I to say? A quick glance up revealed something. Immediately, the Akaku set to work on magnifying the image. It was a hut in Le-Koro. Le-Koro. Our destination. We were almost upon it.

"We're almost there. Just hold on for a few more minutes, friend." I said in renewed confidence.

Looking down, I saw her eyes were again closed but with noticeably less pain in them.

The stretch of ground before me was clear. My target was the hollowed tree at the end. Taking a deep breath, I readied myself for one last push. I was going to make it. I could leave solitude and paranoia behind me.

Every fibre of my body screamed at me to stop and rest. But I wouldn't listen to it, not until Gashema was safe. I sprinted towards the gap in the tree. Everything else was zoned out. Just myself, Gashema and that tree. The forest whizzed past me, leaves crunching beneath my feet and a whistling filled my ears. The hole grew larger as I approached. Upon entering the tree, I deftly pulled the lever and collapsed in the corner. I had made it. All that was left was to find Matau. The Akaku was already scanning faces to find the distinguishable Kanohi Mahiki.

* * *

So, Porauku got to Le-Koro in time but not without some unsettling events. What happened at Po-Koro? You'll find out soon enough...

Thanks to Sumi-Sprite for beta-reading and for the chapter name!

This time, I'm serious about an update every 3 days :)


	10. Chapter 10: A Moment to Ponder

Chapter 10 is up! I stuck to my 3-day schedule this time!

I do not usually bother with the whole 'listen to this song whilst reading' business but I shall make an exception. I dare you to read the soppy bit whilst listening to TSFH: Compass (without or without the Norwegian lyrics):3

* * *

 _Chapter 10-2: A Moment to Ponder in the Village of Wonder_

 _ _Run.__

As soon as I had reached the lofty heights of Le-Koro, I was ready for action. Scanning the faces in the crowd, I not able to locate Matau. Someone must have seen me rapidly scanning the crowds as the next thing I heard was a voice calling out to me through my confusion.

"How may I help-assist you, stranger?"

A string of words tumbled out of my mouth in a jumbled mess. The Le-Matoran looked at me for a while before his brain finished deciphering what I had just said.

"Turaga Matau is this way, Snow-friend." He said.

He thought I was from Ko-Koro; which was an easy mistake to make that I would've corrected if it wasn't for the more pressing issue.

With a gathering of air behind him, he took to the skies. The leaves dispersed and were thrown around in the air as though a hand-sized tornado had forced them away. Looking closer at his wings, I marvelled at the design. Four wings, long and thin, not unlike an acid bug with wings of the most vibrant emerald. A second later, he was off in the general direction of a small hut. I ran through the suspended walkways of Le-Koro, closely following behind the Le-Matoran. After I arrived at the hut, the flying green figure was already inside and talking to Matau.

"...I'll require some kalmatuaberries, Lekiri…" Matau – I assumed it was him by the Noble Mahiki – turned to me. "Put her there so she can heal-rest." He gestured to a spot by a window beside him.

Slowly, I placed Gashema down.

"Your water-friend shall be fine within a day-cycle," assured Matau.

Those words were enough to have me releasing the breath I didn't realise I had been holding for so long. The infinite twists and knots that had formed in my stomach immediately corrected themselves and the weight of the world was off of my shoulders – and the weight of her was out of my hands. Gashema wasn't heavy at all, but it was draining to carry her for several maeros. In fact, it felt strange to not have her in my arms after so long.

"I require complete-full focus. Please, look at the sights of Le-Koro-home while you wait," Matau said firmly yet gently.

Upon exiting the hut, I was hit with a wave of weariness. These past few days had really sapped my energy away. Finding a quiet spot in the dying light of the sun, I rested. My worries dissipated with the evening light. I had travelled more in the span of a few days than I had in the entirety of my life. Our lives had become irreparably intertwined. We were only at the point we were at because of the other's intervention. I would still be huddling in a cave without Gashema and she would be aimlessly wandering Mata-nui without me. My armour was miscoloured due to the harsh passage of time. But it didn't matter. Not anymore. It didn't need to.

Looking down at my discoloured armour, I remembered something. Gashema mentioned Le-Koro was where my armour could get repaired. I could be a normal Po-Matoran. And yet, for all the grief and anger it had caused, I found myself unwilling to fix it. Surely one's armour was supposed to represent who you were as a person. Gashema had pieces of Ko-Koran armour and she seemed fine with it.

 _'_ _ _The armour represents who I am: A roaming adventurer with no defined home'__ _, I believe she said._ The Le-Matoran I had met – Lekiri, I believe his name was – had light armour (both in colour and density) which allowed him to truly take advantage of his gift of wings. The adaptive armour that changed to fit where we lived. To fit who we were as a person. My armour would remain the way it was as a testament to my adventures with Gashema. My adventures that were now beginning to draw to a close like the day-cycle around us. I would be reluctant to part ways with the friend I had made, but it would have to happen soon. I found myself scared by the thought.

"What are you think-wondering, friend?" My thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Lekiri. I hadn't noticed him until he had landed next to me with all the grace of a rock. His armour gleamed in the evening light; greensmet with the orange of dusk ,and the blues glowed in a familiar way. Gashema's armour did that in the light. Gashema...

"How is she?" Were the only words I was able to get out.

"She is recovering. What brings you from your homeland, Porauku?" He questioned.

I shot him a questioning glance. When did I tell him my name?

"Your water-friend talks in her fevered state. She kept on saying your name."

That mental image pained me. I had been sitting out here whilst my friend was in need of my presence. Shaking the image from my mind, I got back to the unanswered question Lekiri had asked.

"I wish I could tell you. They are events I don't truly understand myself. I was from Po-Koro."

Lekiri turned to me in surprise. His expression, although covered with a mask, had an unmistakable look of shock.

"But, your armour –"

"–it was discoloured by the sands." I interrupted.

Lekiri looked around for a moment, as if he hoped to find what to say floating in the air that surrounded us.

"We can fix-repair your armour. Le-Koro herbs are the best in the land. I can personally have your armour fixed, if you'd like..." His words tapered off, expecting a response from me.

"Thank you for your offer, but that won't be necessary, Lekiri. It's a... memento of my travels," I said, "Besides, I feel it would be better if my armour hid me from view. The things I did... It'd be best if they didn't know." I was almost as astonished by my sheer nonchalance as Lekiri was.

"You don't mean –" His words were cut short by my slow nod. If it was possible, his look of surprise would've grown further. I waited for his response – how _would_ he respond? With indifference? Sadness? Anger?

"You had your reasons, I am sure. In the little time I have known you, you do not strike me as the type who would act on a whim. A careful decision was what you made," He said.

It was my time to be surprised by the other's response. I had heard that the Le-Matoran were laid back and carefree but he just shrugged off what I had done like it was nothing.

In one swift movement, Lekiri had slid over the edge to take to the air once again, translucent wings meeting the pale moonlight behind him. The faintest of buzzing could be heard amongst the quiet village around us. He hovered before me before he took off.

"Well, I had best be off. If you ever find yourself without a place to go, you will always have a friend-ally in Le-Wahi. Today has taught me that there are indeed others like me. There may be a time when we will meet again, Porauku. Until then, I bid you farewell," Said Lekiri before flying into the distance.

Others like me? What did he mean?

My eyes protested against my stream of thought by dozing off. Slowly, I felt myself drift into a sleep, bathed in the evening light of Le-Wahi.

* * *

Kalmatuaberry is Kalmatua + berry. Kalmatua is maori for 'elder'. An elderberry is a berry that can help relieve the symptoms of fever (according to a brief google search). I thought it would fit the etymology of the Bionicle world better than 'Elderberry'.

So, Gashema will be fine and the adventure is close to its close. I assure you, though, I have plenty more surprises for you.

Thanks to Sumi-Sprite for her beta-reading skills, as always! And thanks to her for putting up with my shenanigans for a whole ten chapters!

And thank _you_ , the reader, for reading this far. It must have been frustrating to deal with my inconsistency (or maybe you check once a month and didn't notice, I don't mind).

(Is it just my computer or does this entire chapter look like it's written in bold? It isn't in bold but it certainly looks like it...)

See you in 3 days!


	11. Chapter 11: The Truth

Chapter 11 is here! I have nothing to say here, except for 'enjoy'!

* * *

 _Chapter 11-2: The Truth_

 _You can't pretend forever._

The next day-cycle, I was making my way to Matau's hut when I heard a familiar voice.

"Where's Porauku?" the voice said, barely loud enough to be heard by anyone in the hut but somehow loud enough for me to hear. Needless to say, I hurried up the remaining few stairs. Immediately, I was greeted by the warm embrace of someone. Blue armour and a bulky turbine told me all I needed to know. She had recovered.

A silence encompassed us. Unlike in the previous day, it was a welcome silence. A sacred silence. One neither of us were willing to break. After the moment had subsided, Gashema was the first to speak, as usual.

"Do you have your memories?" she asked.

I nodded my head in response. She laughed at that. A laugh that had been absent for only a day yet I missed it like it had been years.

"I missed your silence, Porauku," she said. "So, what do you remember? Is there a lot to tell?"

Again, I nodded. Her smile grew wider beneath her mask. The smile that I hadn't seen for what felt like ages.

"You can tell me on the way to Po-Koro! I love a good story! I heard there's a tunnel that leads all the way to Onu-Koro and Po-Koro."

After thanking Matau and Lekiri, we descended back to the forest floor in search of this 'highway'. It didn't take long to find it amongst the vines and shrubbery. A welcoming message was scrawled in the rock, several cycles old. It was probably carved in Po-Koro.

 _It's your fault._

The tendrils of torchlight snaked up the walls, illuminating cracks and crevices in the rock beneath our feet. Our footsteps echoed for what seemed like maeros down the passage. A look behind me revealed the rapidly-shrinking entryway and the lush green trees of Le-Wahi. A feeling washed over me that could only be described as dread. Unrelenting dread. Maybe it was a long-forgotten fear of the darkness, or maybe it was dread of what was to come. Regardless, my insides must have been contorted into hundreds of knots as we went along.

After a while of this feeling, I looked back again to find I could no longer see the reassuring light at the beginning (or end) of the tunnel. Gashema, who was a few steps ahead of me, stopped and called out to me.

"You alright back there? We're heading for Onu-Koro."

I could only muster a look of confusion amidst my turmoil. She laughed at that.

"Amnesia joke. I can stop, if you want."

It was my turn to chuckle. It was a small one but it relieved a bit of unnoticed tension nonetheless. I couldn't tell if she meant stop the jokes or stop walking. Regardless, the answer was a 'no'.

"So, about your past, Porauku. Do you want to tell me about it? How does it feel to have your memories?" Gashema asked.

I looked away from her to hide my face. My Kanohi Akaku did a good job of that but she might as well have had an Akaku of her own with how well she seemed to look through my mask. I dared not risk having to explain my predicament.

"Great. It feels great."

 _Hiding behind a shield of lies. Old habits..._

I knew that Gashema could see through a lie so blatant but I silently thanked her for not pressing the matter. She merely looked at me expectedly, urging me to divulge my past. What else was there that I could do?

"I am Porauku of Po-Koro –" _It's your fault,_ a voice whispered – "I was part of the Po-Koro guard, hence the weapons and bulk. At some point, I found a Ga-Matoran unconscious in the snow. I carried her to Ko-Koro –"

"That was you!?" Gashema blurted out.

I joined the dots together. If she was saying that, that means that...

"That was you?!" I retorted.

I guess I didn't recognise the armour. I recalled finding it hard to focus on anything after the incident happened. It was just a blur. The Hotoke Contingency, they called it. I continued to speak about what I remember from my past, ignoring the glaring rahi in the room.

"That's... everything worth mentioning." I concluded.

"How did you find yourself travelling Mata-nui?" she asked.

The same thought raced through my head. Over and over again, never stopping, never slowing down. _He_ took great joy in my torment.

 _Guilty minds do not run from their choices._

What was I to do?

 _Can you hide it forever?_

I thought I could've found a way.

 _And what would she find when you arrive at Po-Koro?_

A silent sigh of defeat told me _he_ was right. I would have to tell her at some point.

I found my eyes betraying me as my vision grew blurry for the second time in the span of a few days. I tried to fight them back but it was to no avail. Gashema closed the gap between us and pulled me into a hug.

"What's the matter? What happened?" she asked worriedly.

She waited for me. She didn't push for an answer. She let me ready myself. For that, I was thankful. I tried to compose myself before uttering,

"Gashema, can you be honest with me?"

"Of course! I will always be honest with you, friend."

I mulled the words over in my head, thinking of what words to use and in what order. I usually carefully thought of what words I would use but this was different. Even so, I was surprised with how callous my voice sounded when it said the words. Gashema stared at me in shock when she processed the words. The words that held so much meaning. _Too_ much meaning. The words that changed what we were doing. Specifically, where we were going. The words that were repeated over and over by the dark echoes of the cave.

"Why didn't you tell me that Po-Koro is gone?"

* * *

The plot has hit the fan! Po-Koro is gone? Where do our two adventurers go from here?

I felt that, given the revelation at the end of the chapter, this chapter was deemed worthy of the title of 'The Truth', because this whole story is called 'Closer to the Truth'. They found the truth and it's not what they expected...

Thanks Sumi-Sprite for her beta-reading skills once again!

See you in 3 days!


	12. Chapter 12: The Vestigial Po-Koran

Chapter 12 is up! I've been keeping to my schedule, which is great. Enjoy!

Veor Hrdenda: Thanks for your review! I can see why you think I messed up the twist. It's hard to strike the fine balance between obvious and foreshadowed but not expected.

Here I shall answer your questions:

It's G1 but I have a few elements (get it :3?) from G2. For all intents and purposes, it's G1.

Po-Koro being gone is my own little twist that I made. Do you like it?

The Toa Nuva have their adaptive armour by now and the matoran having an 'inferior' (IDK what word to use) version of the adaptive armour is, again, a little thing I added. I thought of it myself but, after some searching, I found I am far from the only one to think of it.

* * *

 _Chapter 12: The Vestigial Po-Koran_

 _The desert is your home no longer._

"Why didn't you tell me that my home is gone? My kind, gone?"

The words that I spoke echoed through the cave for a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. The silence as warm as the torches around us was gone, replaced by an ominous silence that snaked at our feet. The sombre air threatened to crush us as the quiet continued uninterrupted. I doubted that even Gashema could lift the mood now, the cave eternally stained with melancholy.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

What _did_ I mean?

My home was gone. Po-Koro was gone, never to be seen again. My kind was scattered. We were lost to the whims of the cruel powers that dictated time. _He_ was right; it was my fault. I was the reason why Po-Koro entered an eternal slumber beneath a maero of sand. The reason why my kind dispersed, never to be seen again. I was to blame for this. And I was serving the consequences – the _punishment_ – for my actions.

"It's gone, Gashema. My home is gone. My friends are gone…" I heard my voice grow louder. "My kind are gone! All of them! Everyone I've ever known! All of it! All of them!"

Gashema was clearly taken aback by my rage-filled tone. The echoes taunted me and allowed me to hear what I – what _he_ – had just said. But I knew I couldn't blame this on _him._ This was _my_ rage _._ Gashema said nothing, knowing there was little to say after an outburst as animated as what she had just witnessed. To see Gashema speechless was a rare sight but it didn't help to diffuse the tension. She stayed silent, not answering my question. Why didn't she tell me? Surely, it would have been better to let me know at the beginning. Despite the fact that hiding my sadness was a futile effort, I still tried. The feelings flowed like the waterfall I had seen at Ga-Koro. Ga-Koro. Gashema. We were both away from our homes with no definite way to return. To return to the way things were. Before all of this. Gashema could only remain silent through all of this.

The endless torrent of negativity was interrupted by a voice in the cave. Not Gashema's. Not mine. Not _his_. It was an elderly voice. A voice that spoke with wisdom, that made the very walls of this tunnel stand to attention and the echoes themselves resonate with authority.

"Well, what have we here?"

We were greeted by the presence of someone of a similar size to Gashema and clad in a Noble Ruru; a mask that gave the wearer night vision.

"What is wrong, Matoran of the sands?" he asked.

How did he know? My armour was still miscoloured (I checked). My face said it all.

"There's more to being a Po-Koran than the colour of your armour!" he stranger said.

Ignoring Gashema's questioning look, he passed her and gestured for us to follow. We slowly began to follow behind him after exchanging puzzle glances.

"I knew you'd arrive. Nuju told me so. As much as I disagree with his fascination with the future, it does serve us well to be able to read the stars. I know the answer to your question..." He paused for a name.

"He's Porauku. And I'm Gashema," Gashema told him. "And you are?"

"I am Turaga Whenua of Onu-Koro. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. It sounds like quite the predicament. I'm sure you'd agree with me when I say the Hotoke Contingency, as they called it, was bad – "

"Bad doesn't even begin to describe it," I interrupted. Disastrous, awful, painful – these were a few of the words that more accurately described the situation.

"I collected my research on it and found out the true extent of its damage. A few Po-Matoran came through here as a matter of fact. They all asked about a 'tall, quiet Po-Koran' – I would assume that is you."

Whilst he talked, I merely watched the torches pass me by as I, too, pondered that calamitous event. I had heard others talk about it in hushed tones. The Hotoke Contingency. A term that had become drenched in infamy across the island. These thoughts drowned out the Turaga's words to the point that I didn't notice his question. He peered over my shoulder and repeated himself.

"I said, where do you plan on going from here?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I spied Gashema asking herself the same question in her head, only to arrive at the same conclusion – we didn't know. I could not return home. She could not return home. With an awkward chuckle, Gashema answered his question:

"We... don't exactly know. Not anymore, anyway..."

"Something tells me that things will work out. Do not go to where you need to go. Go to where you are needed." As wise as those words were, they didn't clear things up as much as they raised questions.

The rest of the journey to Onu-Koro was short and filled with a contemplative silence. What did that mean? Where were we needed? Nowhere needed us. We were two outcasts bound together by the cruel hands of fate.

"Tell me, travelers. Have you ever been to Onu-Koro before?"

His question was answered by a 'no' and a shaking head. The light peered out from around a corner, anticipating our arrival. Peeking past the corner, I was met with the sight of the underground village. Onu-Koro. I was awestruck by the homely aesthetic of the place. Glowing hands of flames caressed the walls of buildings sculpted out of the very rock that surrounded us. A stream passed through the middle of the village, filling the air with serene whispers that welcomed us with open arms. Doorways and windows were holes in the sides of domes with a radiant light emanating from them. Travelling through the middle of the cavern, we headed towards Whenua's hut. Upon arrival,

"Are you two aware of a certain prophecy?" Whenua asked.

Even with my memories I had no clue. Naturally, Gashema spoke up.

"Of course. The Toa will return and save the island from evil."

"I mean the other prophecy. A sibling prophecy, if you will."

Gashema's eyes met mine as we exchanged a look of confusion. I didn't know and nor did she. Chuckling, the Turaga explained.

"It would take place at the same time as the first prophecy, but at a different place. It is said that a group of Matoran would defend this island in the Toa's absence. The Turaga and I talked and we believe it is time we let you know."

"Know about what? We were in the dark the entire time?" I exclaimed, taken aback by this prospect.

"The Turaga thought it would disturb the Prophecy's path to have you know. They gave me the responsibility of telling you." Whenua explained with a shrug.

Gashema was part of a prophecy? I was part of a prophecy? Could I be trusted with such responsibility... again?

"I can see you are unnerved, but let me tell you one thing. Believe in your abilities. The Great Spirit selected you because you have something no one else has. What it is, is up to you to find out."

The fire crackled as if ready to burst from the anticipation. The pressure in the room threatened to crush me. Why me? Was I really up to the task? Gashema seemed to be taking it in her stride (or she was hiding it well). One question remained, though…

"What's the prophecy?" asked Gashema, intrigue in every syllable.

"To tell you would ruin everything, make mistakes repeat themselves. We know what happened last time," Through his Ruru, I think I saw him spare a glance at me. Was that a trick of the light? This whole conversation was confusing so I let myself stand idle while Gashema talked to Whenua. I wasn't cut out for speaking.

"But I can tell you how it begins. 'On the crypt of one legend, two more shall be born.'" He said.

The meaning of the prophecy took a while to decipher. Where were we needed? Whilst I thought about those words, I continued to survey the village of earth through the window, as did Gashema. It looked beautiful in its own way. Maybe that was just the inner rock-appreciator talking, being from Po-Koro.

Po-Koro! Everything stopped as I realised a burning from deep within my heart, one that was telling me where I needed to go this entire time.

I was needed back home. Our destination was to stay the same as before. It was time to return...

To Po-Koro.

* * *

The final destination is clear and the path is just as clear as the two continue onwards to where it all started. It will be 'concluded' in the final chapter in 5 days! (there'll be an Epilogue...)

Hotoke = Maori for 'winter'. 'Winter Contingency' is a Halo: Reach reference. I usually avoid things like this but I feel like this works for me. I couldn't think of a name and Bionicle used the maori language for names etc.

Thanks again to Sumi-Sprite for beta-reading and giving me her input on a few choices made in regards to the plot.

That was no typo, I said 5 days. It has been written but I need to make sure that the next chapter is perfect. Don't be surprised if the chapter is longer than usual. Now that I have raised your expectations to levels I can never satisfy, I shall take my leave...

See you in 5 days!


	13. Chapter 13: Homeward Bound

The final chapter is here! I strayed away from the 3 day-update schedule so I could put up a high-quality chapter (In comparison to my other chapters - I am definitely not the best author on this site...)

Enjoy!

* * *

 _ _Chapter 13: Homeward Bound__

 _ _Return to the land that exists no more.__

"I think I know where I need to go. Thanks, Turaga Whenua," I said. Turning to face Gashema, I continued,

"Gashema, I need to head to Po-Koro. I don't know why, but I know I have to. It's not safe for you out in the desert. Your Ga-Matoran armour won't take the heat so well. We know what happened last time so I'll understand if you want to part ways here." I conveniently neglected to mention the effects the sun would have on my own discoloured armour. I would've found a way. The words pained me to say but it was better if Gashema and I said our farewells here in Onu-Koro. There was nothing more to be done and I couldn't risk losing her again, in the harsh sands of Po-Wahi. I already lost enough people in Po-Wahi. I couldn't bring myself to lose another. I couldn't face the possibility of losing Gashema. I couldn't meet her eyes.

"No, Porauku –" She rested a hand on my shoulder, " – _ _We__ need to go to Po-Koro."

I smiled at Gashema. Her determination was one trait on a long list of things that made me like her. Whenua had already left us to discuss what course of action to take.

"It's not safe. We know what happened in Ta-Koro with the high temperatures there –"

" – Then we head out at night, Kolhii-head!" She countered. In all honesty, that option had occurred to me. A victorious smile spread over her face; she knew she had won that.

"Does that sound good?" I nodded. Thankfully, I would not have needed to part ways with my friend just yet. I was never one for solitude, anyway.

At the stroke of dusk, we commenced the arduous trek through the remainder of Onu-Wahi that was made bearable only by Gashema's presence. Leaving in the dead of night, it was eerie to have seen the village still. Silent. Thinking back, we had only met a few day-cycles ago, yet it felt like a relationship forged over the course of several millennia. It was as though we had known each other longer than we had known ourselves. Until I remembered my _burdens_ in Ta-Koro, this was true. As the tunnel began to open up ahead of us, I was hit by a wave of anxiety. Under the cover of darkness, without a word, we travelled side by side. Everything that needed to be said had been said and all that was left was to finish what we had set out to do. My mind wandered to what we would do after this. Those thoughts were pushed to the back of my mind as we pressed forward through the never-ending dunes of nothingness that constantly threatened to end us.

All I had was my trusty weapons, my trusted Kanohi Akaku and my much-trusted friend. The Kanohi was telling us where to go. For the first time, I was leading. This was Po-Wahi and this was _my_ domain. This was my opportunity to show I had learned from our experiences. The map pointed us forward. The landscape was forever changing but it stayed identical at the same time. We didn't know if our steps carried us forwards. The only reassurance we had was our company and my map.

"Do you know what to do when you arrive?" Gashema asked, bemused by my fast pace and optimism.

"Nope."

Even though I had no idea what I was doing, it didn't let me down. For once, I was the one leading the way. The cool night air blew right through us, chilling us to our dermis. A quick check confirmed that Gashema was still behind me. The star-filled sky amazed us as we continued on.

"The sky is the same as when we first met," Gashema remarked. It did strike a feeling of familiarity, being in a desert at night with her. It was the night we first met.

"That constellation, right there –" She pointed at a formation of six stars just above us – "was in that very position when I found you. I checked every night afterwards and it was nowhere to be seen. According to Ko-Koro, it means that something is going to happen."

"Something?" I asked. That seemed a touch too vague.

"Something big." She clarified. Did it pose any significance to us? I didn't know. The conversation didn't need to be continued, we just appreciated each other's company as we trekked on.

What felt like hours passed as we braved the sands onwards. There were no landmarks, nothing to tell us that we were getting close. We would traverse a dune, see one in the distance, traverse that dune and it went on in an endless cycle.

"Sorry about Po-Koro."

I had heard that so many times on my journey and only then did I understand what they meant. It felt strange to hear the familiar phrase rolling off the tongue of a familiar person. Gashema continued.

"I didn't know. If what you say was right and what I remember is right, I was unconscious in Ko-Wahi during those events. I probably should've asked someone, though."

Since I found out, I had been wondering whether or not she knew. I suspected that she knew but didn't want to tell me. I should have known that Gashema would not keep something like that from me.

"You were unconscious during the events?" I asked.

She nodded. I felt it was strange that she didn't respond verbally, instead opting for my approach.

"Then you have nothing to apologize for. We're nearly at Po-Koro."

"How're you feeling?" asked Gashema. I didn't know how to respond to that. How was I supposed to feel? Returning to my buried home after I caused such a catastrophe, travelling through the desert after being told a prophecy, with my friend? I didn't know.

"Depends. How are you feeling?" I responded.

"Just fine, Porauku."

"Then I'm fine, too."

Half a Maero.

As ridiculous as it sounded, I thought I was starting to recognise some of the sand dunes in front of us. We were closing in on Po-Koro. Where it was.

A quarter of a Maero.

"It should be just ahead."

Just ahead and underground would be more accurate.

Po-Koro.

 _Look upon it!_

All was silent. My eyes were met with a sight of... nothing. Sand. No village. No _trace_ of a village. I was at a loss for words. I knew I should not have expected anything different but I still had a quiet hope, a small light in the darkness. That torch had been extinguished. Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I fell to my knees. I had an urge to go to Po-Koro, but why?

 _Right your wrongs._

The voice. __His__ voice, a voice that had taunted me the entire time just gave me an instruction. Why would __he__ do that? The voice that did nothing but berate and torment me just helped me. Who was I listening to?

 _Create a legend where one had fallen._

The words were clear, as though someone had said them out loud. They comforted me but I didn't know how to 'create a legend'.

Looking to Gashema, she could only gaze at the sand below her. We looked equally disheartened. Neither of us knew what to do. The reality struck us. We were just two Matoran in the middle of the desert with nothing. Yet there must have been something we could do. The emotions overwhelmed me. Anger. Why did I do this? What was I supposed to do? Sadness. It was my fault and I didn't know what to do. Frustration. Fury. Sorrow. It all came out in spades. Through the midst of it, Gashema whispered something.

"I'm so sorry, Porauku. I wish I could do something, truly, I do. There is nothing I can do. It is up to you. What do __you__ think we should do?"

I hadn't truly led this journey so the question threw me off. I never anticipated being the leader, the one that was expected to make decisions – especially under these conditions.

"You've never led me wrong yet, Gashema. What do we do?"

We continued to toss the responsibility from one to the other. Crushed under the helplessness, I took out my anger on the sand. I threw it and I punched it and I kicked it. For scratching my armour and making me traipse around this island. For burying my home. For the amnesia. I yelled out to no one in particular.

 _Control it lest you be controlled._

In an instant, something happened. I didn't know what I was doing until I noticed Gashema looking around us in amazement. I, too, looked around me to see the sands of the Po-Wahi desert. They weren't where they were mere seconds ago; they'd moved. It wasn't the usual dunes that slowly shifted over time, no. The sand had _moved up_. Suspended in the air was a blanket of sand that covered as far as the eye could see. If the sand were to fall, Gashema and I would be about knee-high in the golden dunes. Scanning the area, I looked for a source and was immediately surprised when I found what was causing this – __who__ was doing this.

Me.

"Porauku, you're..." Her sentence petered out. Amazement could not even describe it. It could only be described as...

Power. Glorious, limitless, pure power. It flowed through my body and out of my fingers, invigorating me like nothing else. Surges of power travelled through every fibre of my being, controlling the vast network of sands above us. It was no longer sand. It was a single being, a hivemind that operated as one. A mind that __I__ was controlling. To be in control of all of this! The things I could do! Nothing could stop me!

 _Do not be controlled!_

"Porauku..." Gashema repeated, an air of alarm in her voice. Whipping my head around, I saw the fear in her eyes. Within a moment, I was back. Even __he__ was on edge (I could feel it). All of the sand was dispersed away from us after assuming the shape of a large golden pillar, leaving Gashema and I in a small crater in the desert.

"What just happened, Porauku? You lifted up all of this sand and then you... Was that even you? How did...?"

Seeing Gashema this distraught scared me, almost as much is it must have scared her to have seen me like that. To see her fumble over her words was...

 _Satisfying._

Terrifying. Was I... me, again? I didn't know.

I took a step forward, only for her to take one back.

"I don't know what just happened, Gashema. All I know is that I am me right now. Do you trust me?"

Silence. Not a good sign.

"Yes," she managed to stutter, as though she didn't believe her own words.

"Whatever just happened... will it happen again?" She asked, concern in her eyes.

 _"No."_

 _"Do you promise?"_

 _Guilty minds don't keep promises._

"I promise."

Looking down at the crater of my own making we were in, I noticed something. After motioning for Gashema to help me, we swiped away at the sands to reveal the iconic sandstone-slate blend of Po-Koro. The kind that would be used on a roof. We were standing on top of Po-Koro. It was strange to think that we were standing on top of a village. And yet there we were. Protruding from its sandy grave, a roof's ledge. Ledge...

 _Legend._

Our eyes meeting, we both figured it out. She was the one who vocalised this, as usual.

"Of course! On the crypt of one legend, two more shall be born! The crypt – where Po-Koro was buried; the legend was Po-Koro itself; two more shall be born – " She stopped to consider the magnitude of what she was implying. I saw she was starting to second-guess herself but she controlled that trail of thought regardless.

"The two legends..." she started, only to lose herself to doubt. For once, I completed the sentence.

"...are us."

* * *

The two arrive at Po-Koro (where it was) to start something grander than they could dare to imagine. The adventures have not ended...

"By the will of the Great Spirit, it has only just begun!" 'Toa Vakama, Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui

Thanks to Sumi-Sprite for beta-reading this chapter. I couldn't have asked for a better beta-reader. Thanks, Sumi! (I have no idea if she actually reads the story our just the docX files I send to her for beta-reading...)

To clarify, there will be an epilogue which will set up the second story. I'll tell you what I'll do after that when the time comes. Until then...

See you in 3 days!


	14. Chapter 14: Epilogue

The Epilogue is here! This sets up the story for the second story I am writing which immediately follows the events of this one. Now that the introductions are finished, the _real_ story can begin...

Enjoy!

* * *

 _Epilogue_

Deep within the dense foliage of the Le-Wahi jungle, a figure emerged. Emerald wings guided them through the trees and vines as fast as they could. The Le-Matoran, clad in light armour of vibrant green and fluorescent blue, had thoughts racing around his head, almost as fast as he was racing through the canopies.

The meeting with the ominous figure had been mere minutes ago and had been ingrained into the Le-Wahan's mind.

A Matoran, clad in the brightest gold, lingered in the shadows to his side.

" _Who are you?" Demanded the Le-Wahan._

" _The prophecy has begun to turn its gears into motion, Interloper. He has waited for several millennia for this moment. Do not keep him waiting; unite with the others. Go where you are needed, and may the Great Spirit guide you," informed the silhouette. In an instant, it was gone._

Those concerns were pushed to the back of his mind as he flew. The gentle buzzing of his wings had helped to soothe him in the past, but they held no comfort at that moment.

 _What did they mean? Who has been awakened? What am_ I _supposed to do? What did he mean by interloper? Where am I needed?_

A vibrant pillar of yellow erupted into the skies and far beyond, sending shockwaves that rippled across the island of Mata Nui. Even in the air, the green Matoran felt the tremors. Without a second thought, he changed course for the strange beacon.

At the gates to Ta-Koro, a lone guard stood. He, too, had just encountered a strange individual. No mask was identified, for the suspicious figure wore a cloak. Through holes in the material, the Ta-Koran spied golden armour. He had yet to be relieved from his duty as gatekeeper by his comrade so he waited vigilantly, paranoid of another encounter like the one before. Upon seeing the next guard approach, the Ta-Koran decided to mention something about the figure.

"If you see someone in a cloak and about this tall –" He gestured with his hand, bringing it up to above his head – "Tell me, okay?"

The Ta-Matoran needed to think. He always headed for the charred forest when he needed to clear his head. All of this talk of 'duty' the Matoran had spoken of and 'going where he was needed' was unsettling, to say the least. The talk intrigued him as he did always feel a little different. A bit stronger. A bit more capable of controlling fire. But where was he needed?

A column of vibrant yellow appearing to the north quenched his thirst for an answer. In a matter of moments, despite what his mind was telling him, he headed towards the pillar, disregarding the rumbling below him.

Deep underneath the ground, in the bowels of Onu-Wahi, there was a statue. No living Matoran could tell where it came from or what it was. What it did or why it was here. The only information was some writing scrawled on a wall by a long-deceased Matoran – _Onupari._

The small crowd of Onu-Matoran quickly fled to their houses upon feeling a rumbling. The ground shook and the statue remained. The ceiling shook, debris falling and the statue remained steadfast. After the tremors had ceased, an eerie silence reigned. A great mechanical whirr echoed through the cave as joints creaked and gears turned. Slowly but surely, the statue climbed to his feet. Gears whirred that had sat immobile for generations as though the very cogs and mechanisms yearned to be at the epicentre of the bioquake. The last thing the statue remembered was... something. Only voices. One of which, a scared voice that shook like the ground mere seconds ago, was his.

" _It is not your time yet. Forgive me but the prophecy must hold true."_

" _Wh – what prophecy?"_

" _You shall remain dormant until the time is right. It took millennia to co-ordinate this plan and I will not have it be foiled before it has begun!"_

" _What do you mean? What do I have to do with this?"_

" _When the earth shakes around you, you will remain. When the earth shakes, demanding your power, you will go. It is your destiny. Understood?"_

Spotting a tunnel in the distance, he continued to walk. Where, he did not know. Why, he did not know. He walked, ignoring the bewildered look of everyone. Heading for the source of the rumbling, he exited what had been his home for generations.

The gears of the prophecy were beginning to turn, puzzle pieces falling into place. When the hour of need would be dawning, they would be there.

To be continued...

* * *

Who are these characters?

Thanks to Sumi-Sprite for beta-reading this story and putting up with my computer troubles-based shenanigans. Big round of applause for her - Without her, I would have given up after the SD corruption. Thanks!

There will be a second story. I have left many things unexplained but that shall change in the next story. I don't know if there is some kind of 'follow/subscribe/whatever' feature on this site, but use it if it exists. I shall give myself a month to get a good bufferzone going. Expect the first update in March (Hopefully the first day, maybe the second)


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